09 Jul Biking around the Twin Cities with W Minneapolis and Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis
Minneapolis is one of the most bike friendly cities in America, so it comes as no surprise that the two sister hotels, W Minneapolis and Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis, launched a bike program this summer. The hotels both stocked up with custom designed bikes that can be used by guests to explore the miles and miles of bike paths throughout the Twin Cities.
In addition to free use of the bikes, the W Minneapolis and Méridien Chambers Minneapolis also launched new bike tour programs, called “W Tour de Fuel” and “Tour de Minneapolis”, that you can book, as well. The programs focus on the hotel’s “fuel” principle and gives guests the opportunity to go on a one-hour bike tour of the city led by the General Manager, David Cronin. Along with the bike tour, you will also receive a $60 breakfast credit. David, the GM, is an avid biker and a great tour guide—he definitely knows all the best bike routes in the Twin Cities!
As part of the program launch, we were invited to head down to the W Minneapolis and Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis to join David and a group of other travel bloggers on a bike tour of the city. We also had the chance to join in on a light breakfast at the hotel, an art tour at Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis, and lunch at Manny’s Steakhouse. You can’t get much better than adventure, art and delicious food!
Our day started off with some fuel at the W Minneapolis–we had our pick of muffins, granola bars, fruit, coffee, juice and more. We munched on some tasty breakfast as we settled in and got ready for our ride.
The route for our ride was through downtown and around Lake Calhoun; in total, it was about 8 miles roundtrip. My ride started off a little rough with a bit of steering issues, but soon enough, my initial shakiness and struggles on the bike eventually smoothed out. I love bike riding, but I sometimes scare myself with how clumsy I can be! It was no fault of the bikes however because they are beautiful, new and shiny and I can assure you it was just operator error.
Anyways, as we carried on our way, we made our way through Loring Park, passed the Walker Art Museum, rode along the Greenway, down plenty of bike streets and eventually reached the Chain of Lakes. Every time I am in this area, I’m astounded by its beauty, and this time was no different. In fact, it was even better than usual because this was the first time I was seeing it from the bike lane!
After some stopping for photos and chitchat near the lake, we rounded Lake Calhoun and made our way back towards the hotel.
Our first stop on the way home was a peek at the art on display in the Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis hotel a few blocks away from the W Minneapolis. When we arrived, we were served treats of fresh baked pastries with sparkling beverages while we learned about the local art that is displayed (and sold!) throughout the hotel.
Once we soaked up the art at Méridien Chambers Minneapolis, we made our way back to the W Minneapolis for brunch at Manny’s Steakhouse, and wow, what a brunch it was! We dined on a decadent meal that consisted of giant strips of thick cut bacon, Manny’s hash browns, macaroni and cheese.
As if that wasn’t enough already, I had the Kobe short rib “benedict” for my main, and Micah went with the steak and eggs for his meal.
To top it off, we all shared a giant banana split, Manny’s brownie with strawberries, and Maker’s Mark whiskey bread pudding. Good thing we went for a bike ride prior to our meal! It was all amazing and the perfect way to end the morning full of exercise and great company.
We had a fantastic time taking the new W Minneapolis and Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis bikes for a ride. If you find yourself staying at either property, be sure to take a bike out for a spin to explore one of the Twin Cities best features. Or, better yet, hop on a bike tour for some fun with a great guide and reward yourself with a delicious meal after—you won’t be disappointed!
Many thanks to the W Minneapolis and Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis for providing us with delicious meals, snacks and a bike tour. As always, all opinions are our own!